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Farmers tackle purple henbit

An agronomist in South Dakota says many Midwestern fields are blanketed in the color purple this spring.

Darren Hefty, who is a co-host of Ag PhD Radio, says those flower-looking weeds are actually henbit and they can pose a threat to yields.

“It will just cover fields and it’s all purple,” he said. “I remember driving through western Nebraska a couple years back and my wife was like, ‘Wow, what crop are they growing? That’s beautiful.’ I said that is not a crop that is henbit. Those farmers are probably hating that.”

He tells Brownfield henbit can be difficult to manage.

“When we reduce tillage we get these winter annuals coming in. I’m for reducing tillage, don’t get me wrong. If you don’t need to do the tillage that’s fine with me I love it, but henbit can get in. Those winter annual weeds if you don’t control them in the fall it’s a real challenge to get them in the spring.”

Hefty says henbit looks similar to purple deadnettle and are both a part of the mint family.

A full video interview with Darren Hefty can be viewed below